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Samantha Faden & Dr Jenifer Cullen: Successfully adjusting OCD therapy for autistic clients (#503)
09/14/2025
Samantha Faden & Dr Jenifer Cullen: Successfully adjusting OCD therapy for autistic clients (#503)
In episode 503 I chat with Samantha Faden and Dr Jenifer Cullen. Samantha is autistic and has lived experience with OCD. Sam is the client of Dr Cullen. Jenifer M. Cullen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the McLean OCD Institute. We discuss their therapy relationship as therapist and client, how Sam’s therapy journey has gone, what worked, how they learned together over time, getting an autism diagnosis, working out together where autism and OCD starts, ends or overlaps. We also discuss trichotillomania, adjusting exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) for autistic clients, rupture and repair in the therapeutic relationship, adjusting for sensory sensitivities in ERP, having a sensory overload plan, rating anxiety during exposures through special interests, changing the pace of therapy, having more structure and clarity, changing the language used around autism, motivation in therapy, words of hope, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to Join many other listeners getting our weekly emails. Never miss a podcast episode or update: Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit:
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